Bhakra Nangal is highest gravity dam in India with a height of 225 meters. It is built across Sutlej river in Himachal Pradesh. Cheruthoni dam and Indira Sagar dam is also a concrete gravity dam whereas Tehri dam is earn and rockfill dam.

Since topography of dam site is first criterion of selection process. For deep gorges, a concrete dam is an obvious choice whereas an embankment dam with a separate spillway is generally preferred for
broad valleys in plains.

An arch dam is that dam in which stability of dam against external forces is obtained partly due to weight of dam and partly due to transferring horizontal pressure to abutments. The presence of sound abutments is an important requirement and is suitable for narrow valleys.

The highest dam of India is Tehri Dam with a height of 261 m which is built across Bhagirathi River, Uttarakhand. It is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam and is used for irrigation and power generation.

Due to enormous settlement, unconsolidated and high moisture clays are not fit for concrete gravity dams or for rock-fill dams. It can be accepted for earn dams but only after special treatment.

Earn dams, Rock-fill dam, and combined earth and rockfill dam are all non-rigid dams. Timber dam, Steel dam, Arch dam, Buttress dam, and solid gravity dam are all rigid dams.

Steel dams are not in common use and it is possible to build dam up to a height of 18 to 20 m. They are used as coffer dams for construction of permanent dams.

For any width of valley with good foundation steel dam is most suited and if low height of water is to be stored for any width of valley with any foundation timber dam is suited. If gorge with rocky bed is available soli gravity dam is suited.

The small dams which are constructed to delay and detain flow of floodwater are called detention dams. They are called check dams also. It is sometimes constructed to trap sediments and is often called debris dams.

An earth dam is built up by compacting successive layers of earth with vibrating or heavy machinery. It is built in areas where earth is more easily available as compared to concrete or stone or rock.